Carry Your Prison
by wolvesandwaffles
Summary: He keeps his heart under wraps, hidden from the rest of the world. For twenty years, he's lived a grim life, locking away every mission, every death, every murder caused by his own hands. But maybe, Jyn will be the one to finally break open his prison. And maybe, just maybe, he can learn to love again because of it. Cassian's life before/during Rogue. Implied RebelCaptain near end
1. Celebrations and Smoke

He'd been planning for months. A detailed moment-by-moment agenda for the day in question was kept on his bedside table, though he has long since memorized the schedule. Every night an hour - _at least_ \- of sleep was lost as he lay awake thinking of it. He knew the plans inside and out, and made sure his parents did too.

Yet, when his birthday comes, nothing goes as planned. All of his precious preparations go up in flames, along with his family. A small piece of him wants nothing more than to curl up and cry. But his once innocent heart is permanently tarnished with blood. As he watches his home burn, something dark sparks inside of him. A scowl forms on his face, one that will become a habit in years to come, and all he can think of is revenge. _I will find the people who did this. I will hunt them down, and I will kill them._

He seizes what little is left of the naive child obsessing over parties, and he locks it away. Cassian swears to himself he will _never_ take it out again. He can't allow himself the luxury of attachment anymore. So he takes his heart, his feelings, his _one weakness_. And puts it in a prison.

He is six years old.

...

 _And here's another Rogue One fic! I know this chapter is pretty short, but I plant to make the rest longer. After seeing the movie again I just couldn't resist starting another story. Seriously guys, if you get the chance, SEE IT IN IMAX! Totally worth it, and made me love it even more!_

 _Anyways, this fic will be longer than my previous Rogue One stories, and will go into Cassian's past a bit, as well as lead into the events we see in the movie. The next chapter should be up later today. Feedback is always welcome, so let me know if you like (or hate) it! Thanks for reading_

 _-w &w_


	2. New Friends?

"Get down!"

A split second later, a loud boom echoed across the hangar. The sound jolted Cassian awake. With his eyes half closed, he poked his head out of the old cargo lift he'd been sleeping in. Another explosion from the opposite side of the room had him ducking back down into the vehicle. He could hear men shouting, and the sound of blaster fire filled his ears. _What the blazes was going on?_

After losing his family, he had been on the streets for a few weeks, surviving off of handouts and what he could steal. His home planet, Fest, wasn't much more than a tiny, dusty rock floating around in the Outer Rim territories, and few people lived outside the capital, Tanaris. Cassian himself had grown up on a plantation not far from the city, and had decided to try his luck there when he lost everything. But the capital was only so large itself, and the people were only generous to him for so long. Eventually, the citizens got tired of seeing the same old tramp day after day, so he attempted to explore the rest of the planet in the hopes of finding a place to stay. Just yesterday he had come across an old rundown Separatist base. He had climbed into the rusty cargo lift and dozed off, thinking the place abandoned.

Apparently, it wasn't.

The fighting seemed to be getting closer to his hiding place. There was a loud clang as a shot hit the side of the lift, and Cassian covered his ears with his hands. He was still a small child, afraid of even the sounds of battle.

Eventually the blaster fire died down. Even so, he didn't dare move. Several voices nearby were talking, though Cassian couldn't quite tell what they what saying. He could only hear two men speaking, but there could've been more present. He scooted to the left a bit, trying to decipher their words.

"Well, that seems like the last of them. Didn't take long for them to run off."

"Hmph. Long enough for those pansies to blast off my arm! Curse the Republic!"

"Calm down Greulf, you're overreacting. Your arm only got grazed. Maybe you took a shot to the head rather than your arm."

"Hey!"

Cassian inched forward more, hoping to catch the rest of their conversation, and accidentally leaned on the latch that opened the side of the lift in the process. There was only time for him to utter a quick curse under his breath before he tumbled out, landing on the ground with a _thump!_ After rubbing his head and checking for injuries, he remembered where he was. Stars, they had probably noticed him!

A quick glance up told him that there were indeed, two men a few meters away. They were both tall, and one sported a small pistol while the other had a rocket launcher strapped to his back. Cassian wondered which one was "Greulf". They both seemed more than capable of using their weapons, their eyes having the cold hard look of ones who had seen far too much death. And they were both looking straight at Cassian.

 _I'm in trouble now._

* * *

The two men glanced at each other, then back to Cassian. They murmured to each other quietly, but Cassian was close enough to tell what they were saying.

"Who's the little brat?" sneered the one with the rocket launcher.

"How am I supposed to know?"

The first soldier nudged his partner.

"Go on, Ordo. This is your kind of thing."

The man, Ordo, sighed, and stepped towards the boy.

"Kid, where you from?"

Cassian considered what to say. He didn't want to talk about his past, and was wary of sharing anything with the strangers. But if he was going to get their help, he would have to gain their trust.

"Tanaris," which was as vague of an answer as he could come up with. The capital was home to plenty of orphans, so he hoped they would believe him.

"Where are your parents?"

Again, he hesitated. He realized he might as well tell the truth, and maybe they would have sympathy and take him in. It would be hard to tell the story when he hadn't yet gotten over it himself. _Be cool. You gotta keep a straight face, don't show any emotion._ He took a deep breath.

"They're dead"

If he had been hoping for any reaction from the strangers, he would've been disappointed. Still, he continued,

"Papa went an important trip. Mama said he was gonna help us by talking to some Republic soldiers. Something about standing up to bad guys. She said it was important. Said he'd be back in time for my birthday..."

"And?"

"He never came home."

He voice quivered, and he stopped himself, promising himself he wouldn't cry.

"Then some Republic soldiers came to our house. It was about dinner time, and Mama had just gotten out my cake. They dragged her out of the house, and then shouted something about treason. Then they shot my Mama."

No, he would not betray his vow. He sealed away any lingering self-pity and focused on his anger. _I will avenge them._ When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with bitterness, but firm.

"Afterwards, they burned down my home, along with Mama. It didn't take them long to find me, but they let me go, since I was just a kid. And I've been on my own since then."

Ordo sat back once he was done, and only asked "How long ago was that?"

"About a month."

The other man, Greulf, turned to Ordo.

"One month ago... do you think it was the Carida incident?"

"Maybe. Kid, was your dad involved in a protest?"

"I don't know."

"That was probably it. Listen, kid. Your father was probably going to protest at the Carida military academy. They were complaining about the expansion of the Republic military. A bunch of civilians joined in that one. After the protest turned violent, they rounded up the families of the perpetrators and... did away with them. Does that sound familiar?"

"Maybe?"

"Well, lucky for you, we happen to dislike the Republic a lot."

He smiled, but any attempt to seem warm and inviting failed on his part. Still, when he stuck out his hand, Cassian shook it, albeit warily.

"The name's Ordo Velementa. This here is Greulf. We're no friends of the Republic, but we know how get off alright. Come with us kid, and we'll take care of you. Whadaya say?" His cold tone didn't match the warm words he used, and Cassian suspected he didn't really have a choice if he wanted to go with them or not. Still, he was nervous about going with them.

"Why were you fighting earlier?"

Greulf answered before his partner could.

"Oh that. That wasn't a real battle. Barely even a skirmish. That whole scuffle was caused by this idiot here." He gestured to Ordo. "Fool couldn't keep his hands off the chief's daughter."

Ordo responded with a frown on his face. "I still think he overreacted. It was only one night."

"Maybe for you, but poor Zenia, she had to carry your child around for near a year."

"Nonsense, her dad should rejoice over the fact that he finally got a grandchild."

"True. With his daughter's looks, he's quite lucky."

They laughed heartily, but it took Cassian a moment to realize what they meant. When he did, his eyes widened. Seeing his reaction only made Ordo and Greulf laugh more. When they finally calmed down, Ordo turned to him and said "We're just kidding kid," but Cassian knew they weren't. He was liking them less and less as time went on.

Regardless, Cassian would go with them. Maybe this could be a fresh start. No, he couldn't let himself care again. He remembered his promise. He was only a child, and at the time he barely understood what he was promising. But it was too late to go back now. Still, maybe he could a least make some new friends?

He doubted it.

...

 _Sorry guys this is mainly a filler chapter. Since Cassian is sill a little kid, it isn't too dark yet, but there should be more heavy stuff in the chapters to come, starting with the next one. Some people are coming over to my house tonight so I probably won't update til tomorrow, but who knows?_

 _Also, I am greatly saddened by the news about Carrie Fisher. Growing up, Leia was (obviously) my favorite character, and this hits me pretty hard._

 _Rest in peace, Ms. Fisher. You are greatly missed, and will continue to motivate millions through your brilliant work as an actress, wry commentary on celebrity life, and continuous advocacy for mental health._

 _We love you, and may the force be with you._


	3. Glimpse of Darkness

It didn't take long for Cassian to get his first true taste of violence. He had been with Ordo and Greulf for a few days, and during that time had formed a tentative trust with them; they were obnoxious and unsanitary, shouting vulgar things whenever they got drunk, which was often. But they fed him, found him a place to sleep, and never asked for his name, which Cassian thought was the best part of the deal.

The less they knew the better.

On his second day with them, they even took him to a protest in Tanaris. "What's going on?" Cassian asked when they arrived. A battalion of clone troopers was marching down the main street, with several AT-TEs behind them. It was just a standard drill, but the townspeople seemed to be quite bothered by it. Many threw rocks and empty bottles at the soldiers, while the more audacious hurled bright colored paint at the walkers and shouted obscenities. Yet on they marched, ignoring the disruptions like it was just another day on the job.

"Kid, this is the insurgency." Greulf had grinned wickedly.

"This is where we stand up to those sons of-"

"Ahhh, remember he's still a kid."

"Who cares? I heard worse when I was his age."

They then went on to explain the motives behind the protest. The Republic had, in their minds, abandoned them. Planets like Fest that were far from the Core worlds barely felt the influence of the Senate. As far as they were concerned, the Republic didn't care about them enough, leaving them to their own devices.

To Cassian, they just sounded like schoolboys whining about being dumped by their mamas. But to Ordo and Greulf, they were facing something so much bigger than themselves. "We're tired of being the breadbasket for Coruscant without anything in return." Ordo glanced at Cassian. "We're not Separatist's, mind you. But for the time being, we see eye-to-eye with them. A lot of our weapons and gear are supplied by the Confederacy." Greulf gave the boy a wink. "But we're definitely smarter than those bucket heads."

Suddenly, an explosion shook the ground. Cassian whirled around to face the street again. Several of the clones were lying on the ground, eerily still. There was dust everywhere, and someone started screaming. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. _Someone had thrown a thermal detonator._ Whoever the person was, they were a fool. The captain of the clones stepped out into the crowd, searching for the instigator. When he couldn't find who he was looking for, he gestured to the crowd.

"I'll be brief! Whoever dares to throw a thermal detonator against the protectors of the Republic should step forward, and no one else shall be hurt."

Greulf snorted. "Protectors of the Republic, my ass" He had meant to mutter it under his breath, but apparently it was loud enough for the captain to hear it. He pointed at Greulf, and motioned for him to come forward.

"You!"

Greulf took one step forward, a defiant look on his face.

And without another word, the captain shot him.

* * *

In the chaos afterwards, the thing that shocked Cassian most wasn't the indifference of the captain, or the ranks of troopers who in turn began to fire on the civilians. He wasn't even surprised that Greulf had been shot, if he was honest with himself. No, the thing that confused Cassian most was how unconcerned Ordo seemed.

His friend had just been murdered in front of him, and he didn't even blink. For some reason, that bothered Cassian. _Yet wasn't that what he had tried to do after losing his parents?_ He tried to shake the feeling off, and focused on Ordo, who was busy pulling a spare pistol from his belt. He tossed it to Cassian, murmured "I know where we can find a ship," and that was it.

 _Is this what war does to people?_

* * *

They had gone ten steps when a clone trooper stepped in their path. Ordo made short work of him with a quick blast from his gun. "C'mon, kid!"

Cassian tried not to stare at the body as he ran past. They rounded a corner, where two more clones stood, their backs turned to them. Ordo raised his blaster to shoot, but nothing came out. "Darn, I'm out of ammo." The clones began to turn around. Ordo threw the useless gun aside and shrugged, then tackled the trooper closest to him.

"Hey, a little help here kid!" The other clone started to point his weapon at Ordo.

With trembling hands and his heart in throat, Cassian raised his pistol, took aim, and pulled the trigger. The clone fell over, taking the shot right in the heart. Before he could register what had really happened, Cassian turned, aimed again, and fired at the soldier pinned underneath Ordo.

His pulse roared loudly in his ears, and his breath quickened. He glanced once at the clone, frozen for what felt like an eternity. He shook his head, trying to ebb the growing feeling of guilt.

"You said something about a ship?" Cassian asked. Ordo grabbed the blaster of the fallen clone, got up, and followed behind him. "Yeah, if we go to the shipyard there should be plenty of old vehicles we take. Then we can head to Ukio. We've got a base there with plenty of supplies." Ordo went ahead, and they ran through the streets of Tanaris. As they snuck through winding alleys, Cassian's thoughts kept going back to the clone.

He had shot a man. Right in the chest. But when Cassian had looked back, he had seen that the clone had not died immediately, and that was probably the worst of it all. He saw the body slumped to the ground, but then the soldier turned his head to look at Cassian. Despite the mask obscuring his features, his eyes seemed to bore right into Cassian.

He could almost hear the trooper's dying thoughts. _You did this. Because of you, I'm dying. You can never undo this. You have condemned me to suffering. You're a murderer._ Even as Cassian turned away and started running again, he knew the faceless clone would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"We're here," announced Ordo. Cassian shook his head again, clearing his thoughts as he glanced up. They had arrived in the shipyard, as Ordo had said. But there was only one vehicle, and it happened to be a single person A-wing. Cassian's heart sank as he realized what that meant. Only one of them was getting out of here. A click from behind told him that Ordo had his blaster cocked and trained on Cassian. He started to turn, but Ordo called out "Don't."

Cassian froze.

"Don't move. You and I both know what happens."

"I don't suppose there's any chance you'll just let me go?"

"You know too much. It'd be a liability if I let you go now."

Despite everything, Cassian thought he heard a twinge of regret in his voice. _He really doesn't want to kill me._

"Sorry kid. This is the end."

 _That's what you think._

Quicker than lightning, faster than he knew was possible, Cassian whirled around and shot blindly, trusting his instincts. Ordo fired his own blaster also, and for a moment time seemed to slow down.

In the split second between life and death, Cassian tried to make peace with his past.

 _Mama, is this the day that I will get to see you again? Am I ready to leave this world?_

As fate would have it, Cassian was destined to live through that day. The shot missed his chest, grazing his hand instead. He cried out in pain, but he was alive.

Ordo, however, was less fortunate.

Since that day, Cassian always wondered what had caused his blaster to hit Ordo. Had he suddenly gained a new skill? Or was it simply luck? Or perhaps, there was some higher being guiding his aim, such as God or the force. Either way, his shot hit the mark, and Ordo fell to the ground, taken down by the weapon he had given to Cassian himself.

But Cassian wasn't in the clear just yet. Several clones ran into the shipyard, and pointed at him.

"There he is!"

Cassian tore his gaze from the still figure of Ordo and scrambled into the star fighter. As the hatch closed, his hands flew across the controls.

 _How do you work one of these things?_

His eyes caught on a button labeled 'autopilot.' He jumped after a shot rang off of the frame of the vehicle. After scrolling through the coordinates list, he selected one that sounded interesting. 'Bespin.'

He didn't know anything about the place, only that it seemed remote and far away. He slammed the auto-takeoff controls, and soon the scenery around him faded into the darkness of space. Cassian glanced one last time back at his home planet. Then he flipped the switch for the hyperdrive, and Fest was gone.

* * *

Surrounded by the empty black that was only broken up by the occasional star, Cassian felt very lonely. His thoughts flew back to Ordo. He hadn't hesitated, hadn't thought before shooting him. It was Ordo's life or his own.

 _But was it really that simple?_

Suddenly, he was reminded of a time just over a year ago, when his parents were still alive. His papa had taken him fishing for the first time. After waiting several hours, Cassian finally caught a small trout. It had wriggled on the end of the line, and the boy almost dropped the reel. His papa had taken the fish from him and, after removing it from the hook, tossed it behind him to the growing pile on the rocks.

Cassian had watched the creature twist and turn as it tried desperately to return to the water, but it was too late. After a minute, the fish stopped moving. Cassian had started to cry then. He didn't know why, but suddenly the tears just streamed from his face. "Calm down, son" his papa had said. But Cassian couldn't be calm. He felt he had just stolen the fish's life. Papa had laughed at him then, saying that he had never had a problem _eating_ the fish before. But no one was laughing now.

He shut his eyes tight. _No, I will not think of Papa. Not now. Not ever._ He reached into his mind, finding the memory of the clone's death stare, of Ordo's body slumped on the ground, even of the fish still twitching on the rocks. He hurled it somewhere deep within, into the chasm that used to be his heart. And the darkness inside Cassian grew.

...

 _Ooooh Cassian's starting to have more internal conflicts! I've always loved anti-heroes, and Cassian is no exception._

 _In the next chapter, our protagonist will meet some familiar faces on Bespin! :)_

 _Sorry about the brief language! I don't cuss myself, but I just thought it fit Greulf's character._

 _*update* I promise I haven't given up on this story! Next chapter will be up on January 2 !_

 _Reviews are always appreciated!_ _Thanks for reading!_

 _-w &w_


	4. Third Chances

It took several hours to reach Bespin. As the A-wing pulled out of hyperspace, Cassian saw that it was quite beautiful. Sunset colored swirls covered the planet. Cassian began to wonder where he could land, if anywhere, on the gas giant. He realized the planet might not even have people. For all he knew, Bespin could just be a big ball of uninhabited gas. The autopilot seemed to know where to go though, and after circling Bespin once, began to approach. Cassian glanced down at the dashboard to see where the computer was taking him. _Destination, Cloud City._

Flying through orange clouds, Cassian prayed that the people of Cloud City were nice. The last thing he wanted was to run into more trouble.

Suddenly, the clouds cleared, and what the boy saw took his breath away; a floating city. It was shaped like a gigantic disk, with a single stalk branching off the bottom. Cassian could see the outline of buildings near the top.

As his ship grew closer, he noticed several other vehicles flying near. They were bright orange and had two pods.

Something inside the A-wing crackled, and a feminine voice came over the speaker. "Unidentified ship, please establish identification and declare destination."

Cassian hesitated. He honestly didn't know where would go once he reached the city. _I really should've thought this through._

The voice repeated the message. Cassian took a deep breath, and pressed the communications button. He tried to make his voice sound deeper. "Um, hi. This is..." he trailed off, nervous to give his real name. _Think of a name!_ "Ordo. I'm Ordo Velementa.

It was the first name that popped into his head, and a bubble of guilt formed in his chest. He mentally chided himself. _Great going Cassian. You were supposed to forget Ordo!_

The voice spoke again. "Well hello Mr. Velementa. Where are you headed for?"

"Cloud City."

There was a pause, and Cassian crossed his fingers. He murmured anxiously, "Please believe me please believe me please believe me." After what felt like forever, the speakers crackled again and the voice came back. "You have been cleared for landing pad TK421." Cassian let out a breath. _Phew._

"However, you are not listed as a scheduled arrival. Please be prepared to present proof of identification and any other documents upon landing."

The speaker fell silent.

"Uh what?"

He started worrying again. He didn't have anything to prove who he was, as Ordo or Cassian. The officials would probably question him, and then take him to a prison for lying or worse, an orphanage. That was the _last_ place he wanted to go. He was tired of being pitied, of having people look at him like a wounded animal. Cassian might have been a child, but he thought he could take care of himself.

A flash of light caught his eye, and he looked up again. One of the orange vehicles had flown in front of him and was blinking a light at him. The voice came back. "Please follow the cloud car to your landing pad." The still blinking vehicle then turned to the right. Cassian sucked in a breath, and his ship automatically followed the cloud car.

 _Here we go._

* * *

As the A-wing began its landing procedure, Cassian reviewed his plan. His name was Ordo, and he was from the planet Remistum. He had only meant to travel to Dante, a nearby moon, but his autopilot had gone haywire and taken him to Bespin instead. He hadn't brought his papers as he wasn't planning to go far.

In reality, Remistum and Dante didn't exist, having been made up by Cassian. He just hoped the Bespin officials wouldn't know that. He was also placing a large amount of trust in the idea that they wouldn't wonder about his age. It probably wasn't normal to find a lone child wandering about in the galaxy.

There was a jolt as the ship finally landed. Once the hatch opened, Cassian crawled out and was greeted by two men. The one nearest him held a clipboard, and he glanced down at it.

"Mr. Ordo, is it?"

Cassian nodded.

"Splendid. Please walk with me." The man turned on his heel and began striding towards the city. Cassian hesitated, and then followed him. The man began talking as they walked side by side through the city.

"Welcome Mr. Ordo. My name is Sabarth; I am the director of the Visitor Welfare department here in Cloud City." The man frowned at his clipboard, and glanced at Cassian.

"What is your business in cloud city?"

Cassian took a deep breath, and began his story. As the boy spoke, Sabarth kept his eyes on his clipboard, looking bored and uninterested. When he finished, Sabarth stopped walking. They had reached a courtyard of some sorts. To Cassian's surprise, he didn't say anything about his young age, although Sabarth's news was still unpleasant.

"Well, Mr. Ordo, I'm afraid you'll have to come with me for the time being. We have a _special_ place here where you will be staying." Cassian didn't like the way he said _special_ , but the man must've seen his discomfort because he quickly added, "We're not taking you to prison, mind you. Only a separate sleeping unit until you can provide more credentials or evidence to back up your claims, or else we think of some other arrangements."

Cassian frowned. He didn't want to go to any _separate sleeping unit_. He just wanted a normal house again, with a family to take care of him. After seeing his hesitation, Sabarth gestured behind them. Cassian turned and saw that the second man from before, whom he had forgotten about entirely, had been trailing behind them this whole time. He now realized he had a menacing looking blaster strapped to his waist.

"If I may remind you, this is not really a suggestion. If necessary, we will provide force to help transfer you to your unit. Though I really hope it doesn't come to that." The boy didn't move, and Sabarth sighed. He took a step towards Cassian, but froze when he heard a loud noise. A trumpet call was ringing out somewhere behind them. Sabarth groaned, muttering "Not this again."

Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

Out of nowhere, a projectile came hurtling and promptly hit Sabarth in the face, releasing a green slime that covered him completely. The man reeled back, seemingly uninjured, although his pride was surely damaged. Cassian stifled a laugh. The second man pulled out his blaster, and switched the setting to stun. He aimed it around wildly. "Come out, you little brats!" A second object flew straight into his stomach, this time dousing him in gold confetti. The man yelled in frustration.

Cassian couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. As he doubled over, chuckling loudly, he heard someone behind him whisper "Psst!" He whirled around and came face to face with a figure not much taller than him, wearing a mask that covered their face, with two clear patches so they could see. Their eyes crinkled with mirth, and they whispered, "Hold your breath." The voice was distorted by the mask. Cassian closed his mouth and pinched his nose tightly as the figure quickly pulled out a circular object.

A quick glance behind told Cassian that the man with the gun had spotted them by now, and was shouting, "I've got you this time!" The masked person winked at Cassian, before slamming the object into the ground. There was a loud _puff!_ as the item hit the ground. Gas immediately started pouring from the area. As the vapor reached the man, his steps slowed. His words slurring together, he muttered "I'll catch you next time," and slumped over. The boy's eyes widened and he started towards the man. But the masked person grabbed Cassian's arm, and pulled him away from the still figure.

They ran out of the mist, but Cassian didn't catch his breath until they turned into a dark alley. As they leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, Cassian turned to the figure. "What were you thinking?!" He yelled. "How could you kill that man?!" He knew he was overreacting, as the person had just saved him. But he didn't want to deal with anymore death. He _couldn't_ be responsible for another murder.

Instead of answering, the figure only took off their mask. Cassian now saw that it was a girl. She was several years older than him, and had bags under her dark eyes like she hadn't gotten enough sleep. Her olive skin was covered in sweat from the run. Dark brown bordering on black hair was pulled away from her face in a messy bun. She glared at him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I didn't kill him. Only knocked him unconscious for a bit."

Cassian relaxed a little bit, and her glare lessened into a slight frown. "And a simple thank you would be nice." The girl crossed her arms. Cassian stared at his toes, embarrassed. He _had_ overreacted.

"Sorry," he muttered. The girl sighed, and Cassian brought his gaze back up to her. She stuck out a hand, offering a small smile.

"I'm Tate." Cassian paused, and then decided to give his real name. There was no real reason to hide it, and Tate seemed trustworthy. He shook her hand.

"Cassian."

The girl released his hand and gave him a full on grin. "Cassian." She tried out the name in her mouth. "I like it."

He gave her a small smile in return.

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise. Tate brought her wrist near her face, and Cassian saw she had some kid of communicator on a bracelet.

"Well, I've got to head out," she started. "Do you have a place to stay?" Cassian shook his head. "Do you, do you know where I could go?" He was hesitant to ask. Despite her friendliness, she probably didn't want to help a stranger.

But to his surprise, she nodded. "I think I might know a place you could stay, if we have room."

Cassian's eyes widened in disbelief and a flicker of hope shine in his face. "Really?"

Tate laughed at his eagerness, a light sound that lifted Cassian's spirit. "Of course! It's actually the same place I stay. We have a small little group there. Most of the kids are orphans, like me. We've all come from nothing, but we joined together to make something. We survive by stealing, and have fun by making mischief. We never do any serious crimes. Like the stunt from earlier, with the smoke bombs? That was pulled off by me and my friends. You just happened to be there too."

Some of the boy's excitement waned at the sound of that. Would he be able to get along with a whole group? Tate on her own was fine, but Cassian had never been good at making a lot of friends.

"Don't worry, the place isn't far," she added, misinterpreting his uncertainty for fatigue. She began to walk out of the alleyway, and Cassian decided to go with her. _I'll at least try this place out; maybe it'll be good for me._

Suddenly, Cassian was reminded of a time not too long ago, when he had joined up with another group in the hopes of getting a second chance. And he remembered all too well that had turned out; Greulf and Ordo were dead, and one of them was his fault. Not to mention the murder of the clone trooper that he had on his hands.

 _Am I allowed to start over again?_

He hoped desperately that he would be given a third chance.

...

 _Just for the those who are wondering, Tate and Cassian will NOT have anything romantic. I am a hardcore RebelCaptain fangirl, so my OC will never get between one of my favorite ships!_

 _Sorry for the fake teaser in my last note. Cassian will meet a familiar character in the_ next _chapter. And also starting next time, there will be longer time jumps (and I mean_ years _) to make this story go a bit faster. The first few were close together in time just to give a little context._

 _For the few people who read this story, please forgive my inconsistent updating! But thank you for reading my story! I love you all!_

 _I start school again in two days :(_ _I'll try to write as much as possible before then._

 _As always, any kind of feedback makes me smile. Let me know how you feel about Tate or anything else in the story!_

 _Thanks again!_

 _-w &w :)_


	5. Brighter than Jewels

"If I survive this," muttered Tate as she ran through the crowded streets of Bespin, "I'm going to kill Hollis."

The job wasn't turning out as easy as the boy had said. When she peeked over her shoulder she realized the merchant's slave was still pursuing her, running only a few steps behind. The servant's arms were beefy and could probably knock her out cold in a few hits. Her fear of being struck down gave her a small boost of energy, allowing her legs to move a fraction of a second faster.

Tate was suddenly grateful for the festival that had the winding alleys packed with people. She didn't know what they were celebrating, but was appreciative nonetheless. If it wasn't for the crowds, she would've already been caught. She intentionally ducked low underneath people and weaved in between close-knit stalls, trying to slow down her larger pursuer.

Vendors waving bright-colored banners lined the street sides, holding out tasty smelling platters of food. Tate's stomach growled, but she resisted the urge to grab a quick apple. With far more precious cargo to focus on, there was no time to stop for snacks.

She frowned as she remembered the way he had described the job. Hollis had told her it would be easy, with only a fat merchant standing between her and an intricate necklace. Apparently, he had forgotten to mention the muscular slave who was now gaining on her. Tate urged herself on. _Faster!_

She turned down a sharp corner but quickly stopped in her tracks. Her feet skidded as she came to a halt.

"Dead end," she murmured. Tate began to backtrack out of the alleyway, only to stop once more. The slave had caught up to her and was blocking the alley.

As the man pulled a stunner from his belt and approached with it held it out, she tried to think of her options. She probably couldn't fight, since he was clearly stronger than her. And she definitely couldn't escape as the man was blocking her only exit.

"Just give back the necklace, and I'll let you go." The slave extended his hand as if he expected Tate to just hand it over. The girl considered it for a second, but then she remembered why she had stolen the piece of jewelry; she and Hollis were going to sell it on the black market. The credits they earned would be for her group, the ones she had to protect.

 _Her family._

She couldn't give up the thing that would help them so much. Tate made her decision: she would try to fight her way out. _Either that, or I get taken down._

Her eyes hardened, and she lifted her chin, daring him to make her give up her prize. The slave seemed surprised at her defiance, but merely shrugged. "If this is how you want to do it, fine."

The man stepped forward. So did Tate.

As he pulled back his massive fist, she tried to prepare herself for the blow by lifting up her hands to shield her face.

She didn't stand a chance.

Tate was knocked off her feet by the powerful punch, and as she struggled to get back up, he hit her again, this time into her unprotected face. She was unable to defend herself as her reactions were slowed by the pain. Her face burned from the impact, and she knew she was close to blacking out.

She remembered too late her smoke bombs, which could've helped her escape. Tate hung to her last ounce of consciousness like a lifesaving rope, but the pain was too much.

As the world slowly faded, Tate thought to herself, _Yup, I'm going to kill Hollis._

* * *

"Take that, bantha fodder!"

Cassian groaned as his Molator was knocked violently from the board. The boy's piece went flying and landed on the ground with a discouraging _thud._ As his partner stood up triumphantly, Cassian sighed.

"I give up, Hollis. This is the third game of Dejarik where you've beaten me in a row!"

The war was over. For reasons unknown to the riffraff of Cloud City, the Separatists and Clones had ceased fighting. The Republic had been replaced by the Empire, but for the first year and a half, there seemed to be few changes. The shadow of politics still rarely extended to Outer Rim, and there were few that Cassian knew who were truly bothered by the shift in leadership. News about the outcome of the war hadn't even reached the boy's ears until months after the fighting had ended.

For the time being, Bespin seemed to exist in its own place, away from the galaxy's conflict.

"Come on, Cassy! Don't give up that easily. Play one more round with me." Hollis winked, and ran a hand through his messy light brown hair. "If you win, I'll give you my desert for a week."

Cassian scoffed at the wager. "Yeah right. I haven't won a single game against you. I'm tired of losing to your bets."

"If you think I'm bad, you should see my friend. He bets on _everything_. You know, I think he's actually right over there. Hey Lando!"

The boy reached out an arm as he hollered to someone behind them. Cassian turned around to see a teenage boy walking through the bar towards their booth. He seemed slightly older than Hollis, making him several years above Cassian.

As Hollis scooted over to make room for the Lando, the young boy stood up. "I don't want to play anymore, Hollis."

But before he could leave, Lando said, "Wait just a minute there my friend. I've only just got. You can't leave already."

He shook his head earnestly. "I'm don't like to gamble. Besides, I want to check on Tate."

"Who's Tate?"

"She's my friend. She got injured yesterday and I want to make sure she's okay."

Lando whistled appreciatively. "Now why didn't you just say from the beginning that you meeting a _girl?"_ He grinned. "Say no more, my friend. You go and get that girl! And do you think I could even tag along? It's been a while since I met some new chicks."

Cassian stared at him blankly.

Upon seeing the boy's confused expression, Lando laughed and gave him a wink. "I'm just kidding, you lady-killer. But seriously, if things don't work out with you two, maybe you could put in a good word for me?"

Then the teen laughed some more, and Cassian started to walk away, but Hollis called out to him.

"Wait up! I'm coming too!"

Despite his protests, Hollis stubbornly argued that he was going. As the pair walked out of the bar, Lando yelled at them once more.

"Good luck, you pirates!"

* * *

"Never take me to a bar again."

The older boy laughed as they left the building. "Don't mind Lando, he tries to be friendly."

Cassian shook his head. "He seems weird. And anyways, I'm too young to be hanging around that place." It was true. At eight years old, he was one of the youngest in their group, and definitely not old enough to be frequenting bars.

"Okay, but that's the only place where we can play Dejarik for free."

"I could go my whole lifetime without ever playing that game again."

While they walked towards the physician's house, the older boy continued to try and make bets with Cassian.

"Bet you three Crumblebuns you can't hop over that supply crate."

"I'll loan you my blaster if you'll sing to the whole group tonight as loud as you can."

"Ten Sweet-Sand cookies if you ask out that lady."

The boys laughed at the last one, as the woman in question was at least 80 years old.

When they finally reached the house, Cassian rang the buzzer. While they waited for the doctor to let them in, he turned to his friend and asked,

"Hold on, why do you even want to see her?"

The older boy merely shrugged. Cassian realized his friend was about the same age as Tate, and eyed him suspiciously.

"It isn't because you like her or something, is it?"

Hollis shook his head emphatically, saying "No, nothing like that," but Cassian thought he saw cheeks turn a slightly darker shade of red.

"Because you know she hates you, right?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Cassian nodded his head, grinning, and they laughed together.

The door opened a few moments later, and the doctor gestured for them to come inside. As they entered the home, the boys fell silent. They didn't want to wake Tate if she was sleeping. But when the doctor led them to her room, they saw that she was already awake, sitting up in a bed.

The girl's eyes brightened at the sight of Cassian, but they narrowed when she noticed Hollis behind him.

She blurted out, "What are you doing here?" Then her hands flew to her mouth, embarrassed by her outburst.

"Well hello to you too," muttered Cassian.

"Sorry," said Tate shyly. A frown formed on her face, and she looked at them confusedly. "What happened? How did I end up here?"

Cassian grinned as he told her matter-of-factly, "I saved your life."

Hollis rolled his eyes at the boy's boasting, but Tate leaned forward in her bed expectantly. "You did? All I remember is being knocked out." She glared at Hollis. "Which happened because _someone_ failed to mention the brute of a slave that was guarding it."

Hollis ducked his head apologetically while Cassian began to explain. "You had been gone awhile so I went out to look for you. Found you lying unconscious in an alleyway, and this giant guy was leaning over you." Cassian paused dramatically, earning another eye-roll from Hollis.

"And?"

"And," the boy continued, "I threw a smoke bomb down there and confused the guy. While he was coughing I swooped in like the hero I am and carried you away!"

Hollis cleared his throat. "What actually happened was he couldn't lift you on his own, and had to ask for me and some other guys to help. Then we found the doctor and bribed him into letting you stay here, since we couldn't just leave you untreated at our camp."

Cassian glared at the older boy. "Stop interrupting my heroic story!"

Suddenly, Tate turned towards the boys and said with wide eyes, "Wait! I completely forgot about the necklace! I'm so sorry guys, but I must've lost my bag in the fight."

At her words, Cassian and Hollis simply grinned at each other. The latter grabbed a sack from his belt. "You mean this bag?"

Tate's jaw dropped as he pulled out the delicate necklace. "How did you…?"

"Picked it up in the alley," responded Cassian, a smirk on his face. Hollis gave him a fist bump, and the boys smiled triumphantly.

"My lady." Hollis bowed teasingly, and then handed her the necklace. "Your jewels have been returned.

Her face shining, Tate laughed as she held up the beautiful necklace. "How much do you think we can get for this, Hollis?"

"Thousands of credits, at least."

Tate's eyes widened excitedly, and then they were all laughing about how rich they would be. Cassian's sides eventually started to hurt from laughing so much, but he didn't mind. For the first time in a while, he felt truly happy.

The jewels glimmered and twinkled in the light, but they were nothing compared to the brightness of Cassian's smile.

...

 _This chapter is pretty much a random filler. I know it isn't great but poor Cassian needed some fun in his life._

 _New characters! Do you like Hollis? What did you think of Lando's short ( non-canon but oh well) cameo? If people like I might do more cameos later_

 _HUGE thank you to everyone who's reviewed! Your feedback really helps! This community makes me smile brighter than jewels :)_

 _-w &w :3_


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